as in dictator
a person who uses power or authority in a cruel, unjust, or harmful way
a Latin-American strongman who basically treated his nation's coffers as his personal bank account
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of strongman
Nations can’t just blink away the nightmares of authoritarianism or assume that removing a strongman will resolve the societal conditions that led to his rise.
—
Michael Snyder, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
Even with the former strongman now sitting in a US jail, that’s a hard sell.
—Peter Millard, Bloomberg, 12 Mar. 2026
When a tourist handed him a camera to record a few snapshots, the guide inadvertently captured scenes of a peaceful demonstration against the regime of Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 10 Mar. 2026
Why would the Iraqi strongman have lied to his own generals?
—Arkansas Online, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for strongman
Michael Snyder, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
Even with the former strongman now sitting in a US jail, that’s a hard sell.
—Peter Millard, Bloomberg, 12 Mar. 2026
When a tourist handed him a camera to record a few snapshots, the guide inadvertently captured scenes of a peaceful demonstration against the regime of Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 10 Mar. 2026
Why would the Iraqi strongman have lied to his own generals?
—Arkansas Online, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for strongman
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strongman
Noun
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In 1976, with dictator Idi Amin aggressively opposing Israel, four terrorists hijacked Air France Flight 139 on its way from Tel Aviv to France.—
Paul Tilsley,
FOXNews.com,
28 Mar. 2026
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Iraq’s surprise invasion in 1980 served as a wind in the sails of the Guards, who saw their role drastically expanded to keep Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s forces at bay.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Trump wants to rule over us as a tyrant.—
Killian Baarlaer,
Louisville Courier Journal,
28 Mar. 2026
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Colletti joins One Piece as Wapol, a tyrant and adversary to the Straw Hats.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Strongman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strongman. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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